Sermon Text: Romans 8: 31-38
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that* spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather*, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written*, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Morning Message
Step by step, that I believe, is an accurate description of our walk as Christians. It’s not always straight consecutive steps forward. I would probably say that it is seldom that way. We start our journey with Jesus with one decisive step forward, a step; sometimes a leap of faith. Once we come to faith our journeys vary. For a while our steps are kind of small, mostly staying in the same place. We have the example of the Apostle Paul, who after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus and coming to faith, studied for 14 years before going into ministry. Now I am sure that during that time he was growing in his faith and doing the work of ministry where he was. The point is that this faith grows in small steps. God is constantly getting us ready for the ministry that He has for us.
God knows how quickly we will move forward on this journey, but I believe that His expectation is that we continue to make progress. You know, sometimes I think that this is the message, the main purpose of God’s call on my life to ministry. It’s not the only purpose and there are many other important things that we need to focus on, but I think that if you listen to me preach on a regular basis you will hear this message, this theme of Christian growth regularly. Unfortunately we do not always step forward in this journey. Sometimes it seems like one step forward and then two steps back. We don’t like going backwards and we definitely don’t want to become backsliders. I try to see God’s purpose even in the steps backwards. God uses everything in our lives in order to mold us into the beautiful creation that only He sees in us. The secret is to continue to push forward and examine how and why you have regressed in your walk with Jesus. I always go back to this famous quote and I don’t remember who made it or even if I am saying it exactly right, “Those who forget the past are bound to repeat it.” We must learn from our back steps so we don’t end up there again.
For the most part, unfortunately, Christians decide to try and stay in one place. We start to think somehow that’s the safe thing to do. I have told you many times that that is not what God wants in your life or in the life of His church. As I was preparing this message I was reminded of a place of growth in my walk that seemed like a small thing at the time, but as I look back, it was a turning point for me, and I believe something that all of us need to focus on: using the name of Jesus as I spoke about my faith. During the course of a church meeting, as I was speaking about all of the ministry dreams that I had for the future, a more mature Christian friend interrupted me and said, “You need to use the name of Jesus and give Him the glory as you speak about the things of God as it relates to your faith.” He was right. I was very comfortable talking about God but not so comfortable talking about my Savior and saying His name. As I listen to people speak, church people, I seldom hear them proclaim the name of Jesus. They talk very freely about God but hardly ever say His name. I want you to think about that and the effect saying His name can have.
I used to think that this was a small step in my faith, but the longer that I am in ministry the more important I think it is. I want to share something from one of my Lenten devotionals. I don’t want to read the whole thing, but there is an important part of it that we need to hear. The scripture is Matthew 1: 21, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The angel is speaking to Joseph and letting him know that it is right for him to take Mary as his wife even though she is with child, and the angel tells him the child’s name, Jesus. Why would the name make a difference in Joseph’s thinking? Jesus is the English form of the Hebrew name Joshua. Joshua means “Yahweh (the Lord) saves.” The child’s name is Joshua—or Jesus—because this Son will save his people from their sins. Jesus will forgive all sin, for all people, for all time—lock, stock and barrel! And we need it! O God we all need it! There is purpose and power in the name of Jesus. His name was not just drawn out of a hat or even chosen by his mother or father; it was given by an angel and ordained by God. When we fail to use His name we forfeit the power that it can bring to our ministry.
The evangelist in me cannot let this text go by and not proclaim the most important part. Two questions that every unsaved person needs to ask themselves: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or, what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” I will not over preach this today, but the point is, without Jesus in your heart you are forfeiting your soul for all eternity. Is the world really that important to you that you would allow your soul to spend eternity in hell for some things the world has to offer? Only through a personal relationship with JESUS can you be saved from this fate.
Now listen to this last part of the scripture text because I think that we miss this in our walk of faith. “If anyone is ashamed of me in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Maybe you have never thought of it this way, but most likely the reason that you avoid using the name of Jesus everywhere is because you are ashamed. I know that is a statement that may not cover everyone, and I know that for the most part you would never think of it that way. You would say, “I would never be ashamed of my Savior.” Your hesitation to say His name to others speaks volumes about how you really feel. Ask yourself why. Why do you avoid talking about Him and why is His name not proclaimed regularly in your speech? When I first came face to face with this shortcoming in my Christian life I was shocked to realize what I was doing. It took a real effort to change my thinking and my speech, but it is a step of faith that has been so rewarding, and I believe a step that every Christian needs to take in order to grow.
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
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